heavy metal
Americannoun
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any metal with a specific gravity of 5.0 or greater, especially one that is toxic to organisms, as lead, mercury, copper, and cadmium.
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aggressive and heavily amplified rock music, commonly performed by groups that wear spectacular or bizarre costumes.
noun
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a type of rock music characterized by a strong beat and amplified instrumental effects, sometimes with violent, or nihilistic lyrics
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( as modifier )
a heavy-metal band
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a metal with a high specific gravity
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military large guns or shot
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heavy metal
1860–65, for literal sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Heavy metal might have eventually come to exist without Ozzy, but it would’ve looked and sounded very different.
From Salon • Jul. 26, 2025
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have announced they will be touring with a new drummer.
From BBC • Dec. 9, 2024
"Heavy metal exposure has been linked to degenerative heart disease, immunodeficiency and increased parasite infestations, among other disease risks."
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024
Heavy metal and hard rock thrive on instrumental prowess, as Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo demonstrated in a performance of a song they said they’d composed earlier Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2023
Heavy metal doors open and lock behind us as the policeman leads me through a maze of rooms and out past a tall, spiky gate.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
